Screw package

ABSTRACT

A screw package is disclosed for consecutively feeding screws into a driving position with respect to an automatic driver. The screw package includes a string tubular members sized so as to accept a screw within each member. Each of the tubular members has a plurality of axially extending elongated strips attached to the inside surface of the member. Each of the strips extends downwardly from near the top of the tubular member and terminates in a resilient finger extending downwardly and radially inwardly. When the screws are inserted within the tubular member the strips will axially guide the head of the screw and the fingers will axially guide the screw shank, and when the screw is screwed downwardly within each tubular member the fingers will flex radially outwardly to axially guide the head. In this manner the screw package prevents the screw from going askew during the drilling operation.

United States Patent 1 Merrick et al.

[111 3,312,961 [451 May 28,1974

SCREW PACKAGE Inventors: Jim I. Merrick, Alda, Nebr.; Carl J.

Carlson, Jr., Minnetonka, Minn; Donald W. Carlson, Omaha, Nebr.

Assignee: Triad Fastener Corp., Alda, Nebr.

Filed:

Apr. 24, 1972 Appl. No.: 247,187

US. Cl. 206/338 Int. Cl... 865d 83/02, B65d 85/24, B65d 85/62 Field of Search .1 206/56 DF, 56 AB, 56 A,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Kovacs 227/149 Barlow et a1. 206/56 AB Carlson, Jr. et al. 206/56 DF Ladouceur et al. 206/56 AB Primary Examinerwilliam TfDixson, Jr.

Attorney, Agent, or FirmMerchant, Gould, Smith &

Edell [57] ABSTRACT A screw package is disclosed for consecutively feeding screws into a driving position with respect to an automatic driver. The screw package includes a string tubular members sized so as to accept a screw within each member. Each of the tubular members has a plurality of axially extending elongated strips attached to the inside surface of the member. Each of the strips extends downwardly from near the top of the tubular member andterminates in a resilient finger extending downwardly and radially inwardly. When the screws are inserted within the tubular member the strips will axially guide the head of the screw and the fingers will axially guide thescrew shank, and when the screw is screwed downwardly within each tubular member the fingers will flex radially outwardly to axially guide the head. In this manner the screw package prevents the screw from going askew during the drilling operation.

a ainer tlltawia lie rsi 1 SCREW PACKAGE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to automatic driving of screws and more particularly relates to a pre-loaded screw package for consecutively feeding screws into a driving position with respect to the automatic driver.

2. Description of the Prior Art Power operated automatic driving equipment has been used extensively, by way of example, in the building industry, in furniture manufacturing, and in crating for shipment, where wooden members have been nailed together in mass quantity. These guns are usually driven by compressed gases or electrical means and occasionally the nails are driven home by an explosive means.

The invention herein involved is concerned with a screw package for carrying and feeding screws preparatory to the screw driving operation. Screws are not limited, as are nails, to fastening to a few materials. However, the driving of screws presents problems not present in the driving of nails. For instance, for screws, the

head of the screw is generally ofa much greater diameter than the diameter of the shank. Additionally,since the screw must receive a torque, so as to rotate the screw. in addition to receiving a driving force, as the nail need only receive, there are greater problems in keeping the screw from going askew during the drilling operation.

Accordingly. it is an object of the present invention to provide a pre-loaded screw package for consecutive feeding of screws into a driving position which package is capable of preventing the screws from going askew during the drilling operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention, a screw package is provided consisting of a casing having a plurality of cylindrically shaped screw receiving bores adapted for guiding the head of the screw and means are attached within the bore for guiding the shank of the screw and additionally for guiding the head of the screw when the screw is screwed downwardly within the bore.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 11 generally refers to the screw package of the present invention. Screw package 11 is constructed of a flexible and resilient material such as polyethylene in the form of a casing comprised of a series of tubular members 13. Each tubular member 13 has a cylindrical outer surface 15 and a cylindrical inner surface 17, and, thus, each tubular member 13 is symmetrical about an axis 19. As

shown in FIG. 1, the tubular members 13 are aligned in a longitudinally extending direction 21 so that all of the axes 19 lie in a single plane. The tubular members are attached to each other at 23 on their outside cylindrical surface 15, and the attachment 23 allows bending of the screw package 11 in a direction 25 transverse to the longitudinal direction 21, in which case the axes 19 will move out of a planar relationship. The screw package 11 can .be infinitely long and wound in a coil.

The screw package 11 does not need to have a tubular shape but could be of any shape which provides means thereon which the automatic driver can use for advancement of the package. r

The screw'package 11, as comprised of the tubular members 13, defines a top face 27 and an axially spaced apart bottom face 29. Each of the tubular members 13 has a screw receiving bore 31 extending axially between the top face 27 and the bottom face 29. The intersection of the bore 31 with the top face 27 defines the tubular member top opening 33 and the intersection of the bore 31 with the bottom face 29 defines the tubular member bottom opening 35. The bore 31 of each tubular member 13 is defined by the cylindrically shaped inner surface 17 of each tubular member.

Each elongated tubular member 13 includes six strips 37 fastened to the inner surface 17. For easy construction, the strips may be a relief of inner surface 17. Each of the strips 37 are elongated and extend from a position nearthe top face 29 of the tubular member 13 downwardly to approximately the midsection of the tubular member 13. At about the mid-section of the tubular member 13 the strip 37 is no longer attached to the inner surface 17 but comprises a finger 39 extending downwardly and radially inwardly. The finger 39 is flexible and resilient and can be flexed from a first position wherein the downwardly furthermost end 41 of the finger 39 is proximate the axis 19 of the tubular member 13 to a position wherein the end 41 is proximate the inner surface 17 of the tubular member 13.

Shown located within the bores 31 of the tubular members 13 are screws 51. Screws 51 have a shank portion 53 having threads 55 thereon, and a head portion 57 having grooves 59 located in the top thereof of a cross-configuration, or of any desired configuration, for mating with a driving mechanism.

With the screw 51 located within the screw receiving bore 31 of each tubular member 13 the strips 37 axially align the head 57 of the screw 51. Each of the six fingers 39 located at the end of each strip 37 extend inwardly to axially align the shank portion 53 of the screw 51. Thus, the screw 51 is positioned in the center of bore 31 and is positioned normal to the bottom face 29 of the screw package 11 for the eventual insertion of the screw 51 into a member.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the screw package 11 is shown with the bottom face 29 flush against a material 61 into which a screw 51 is to be inserted. For purposes of inserting the screw 51 a standard screwdriver 63 or a screwing machine having a screwdriver 63 is inserted within grooves 59 in the head 57 of the screw 51. As the screw 57 is screwed downwardly through the bore 31 of the tubular member 13, the ends 41 of each of the fingers 39 generally ride between the threads 55 of the shank 53. -As the screw 51 further moves downwardly the tip of the screw begins to insert itself within the material 61. At this point, the head 57 is still being guided tion proximate the cylindrical inner surface 17 of the tubular member 13 for guiding the head 57 of the screw 51. Thus, by the use of the resilient fingers 39, in combination with strips 37, the screw may be axially cenered in order that the screw will move into a material in a position normal to the bottom face 29 of the package 11 and normal to the material 61 into which the screw 51 is to be received. The fingers 39 will flex radially outwardly from a first position guiding the shank 53 to a second position proximate the cylindrical inner surface 17 to guide the head 57 and retain the screw 5] in an axial position for further insertion of the screw 51 within the material 61.

What is claimed is:

l. A screw package for use with screws having a threaded shank and a head, comprising: v

a. a casing having a top face and a bottom face;

b. said casing defining a plurality of cylindrically shaped screw receiving bores extending axially from said casing top face to said bottom face, said cylindrical bore being adapted for guiding said head of said screw; and

c. means attached to said casing within each of said cylindrical bores guiding said threaded shank of said screw and guiding said head of said screw when said screw is screwed downwardly through said bore.

2. The screw package of claim 1, wherein said means attached to said casing within said cylindrical bores for guiding includes a plurality of resilient fingers normally projecting radially inwardly for guiding said threaded shank of said screw while being flexible to a second position for guiding said head of said screw when said screw is screwed downwardly within said bore.

3. The screw package of claim 2, wherein:

a. said casing within each of said bores includesa plurality of axially extending elongated strips extending downwardly from a position near said top face and terminating in one of said resilient fingers, said strips sized for guiding said head of said screw; and

b. said resilient fingers normally extending downwardly and radially inwardly within said cylindrical bore for guiding said threaded shank of said screw while being flexible to a second position proximate said casing for guiding said head of said screw when said screw is screwed downwardly within said bore.

4. A screw package for use with screws having a threaded shank and a head, comprising:

a. a plurality of plastic tubular members, each of said tubular members having a top opening and a bottom opening;

b. each of said tubular members having a cylindrical outer surface and a cylindrical inner surface, said surfaces extending axially from said top opening to said bottom opening;

c. said tubular members being aligned longitudinally with said axes in a plane, said tubular members being attached at their cylindrical outer surface; and

d. each of said tubular members having a plurality of axially extending elongated strips attached to said cylindrical inner surface, each of said strips extending downwardly from near said top opening and terminating in a resilient finger extending downwardly and radially inwardly;

. whereby, when said screws are inserted within said tubular members, said strips will axially guide said head of said screw and said fingers will axially guide said screw shank, and when said screw is screwed downwardly within said tubular member said fingers will flex radially outwardly to axially guide said head. 

1. A screw package for use with screws having a threaded shank and a head, comprising: a. a casing having a top face and a bottom face; b. said casing defining a plurality of cylindrically shaped screw receiving bores extending axially from said casing top face to said bottom face, said cylindrical bore being adapted for guiding said head of said screw; and c. means attached to said casing within each of said cylindrical bores guiding said threaded shank of said screw and guiding said head of said screw when said screw is screwed downwardly through said bore.
 2. The screw package of claim 1, wherein said means attached to said casing within said cylindrical bores for guiding includes a plurality of resilient fingers normally projecting radially inwardly for guiding said threaded shank of said screw while being flexible to a second position for guiding said head of said screw when said screw is screwed downwardly within said bore.
 3. The screw package of claim 2, wherein: a. said casing within each of said bores includes a plurality of axially extending elongated strips extending downwardly from a position near said top face and terminating in one of said resilient fingers, said strips sized for guiding said head of said screw; and b. said resilient fingers normally extending downwardly and radially inwardly within said cylindrical bore for guiding said threaded shank of said screw while being flexible to a second position proximate said casing for guiding said head of said screw when said screw is screwed downwardly within said bore.
 4. A screw package for use with screws having a threaded shank and a head, comprising: a. a plurality of plastic tubular members, each of said tubular members having a top opening and a bottom opening; b. each of said tubular members having a cylindrical outer surface and a cylindrical inner surface, said surfaces extending axially from said top opening to said bottom opening; c. said tubular members being aligned longitudinally with said axes in a plane, said tubular members being attached at their cylindrical outer surface; and d. each of said tubular members having a plurality of axially extending elongated strips attached to said cylindrical inner surface, each of said strips extending downwardly from near said top opening and terminating in a resilient finger extending downwardly and radially inwardly; e. whereby, when said screws are inserted within said tubular members, said strips will axially guide said head of said screw and said fingers will axially guide said screw shank, and when said screw is screwed downwardly within said tubular member said fingers will flex radially outwardly to axially guide said head. 